Method for cultivating tobacco



Patented Apr. 9, 1935 PATENT OFFICE METHOD FOR CULTIVATING TOBACCO Paul Koenig, Forchheim, near Karlsruhe,,Ger many, assignor to Tabakforschungsinstitnti'iir das deutsche Reich, Forchheim, Germany No Drawing. Application June 8, 1933, Serial No. 674,921. In Germany March 8, 1933 7 Claims.

The present invention is concerned with the cultivation of tobacco and more particularly refers to an improved method of cultivatingtobacco for cigarettes.

It is well known that the quality of tobacco depends largely on the climate as well as on the soil of the area where it is cultivated. Culti vation of cigar tobacco'as well as of smoking tobacco for pipes has been advantageously carried on in a great number of countries and particularly also in countries with temperate climate, whereas satisfactory results in the (cultivation of tobacco for cigarettes have been hitherto achtieved as a rule only in countries with hot oilma e. a

For instance in Germany cigar tobacco as well as'tobacco for pipes is frequently grown, whereas cultivation of high quality tobacco for cigarettes was regarded as impracticable under the conditions existing in that country. The same applies to many parts of the United States of America and to other countries with similar conditions.

Now, by careful investigations I have found that tobacco for cigarettes of excellent quality can be cultivated in countries and/or under conditions oi climate and soil which up to now were regarded as suitable only for growing cigar tobacco and smoking tobacco, provided that a new method of cultivation is used. I

Accordingly my invention consists in a new and improved method for growing tobacco for cigarettes.

In the cultivation of tobacco the plants are usually planted in rows, the individual tobacco plantsbeing planted at rather great distances. For instance for cultivating cigar tobacco under growing conditions similar to those existing in South-Germany distances of more than 50 cm. between adjacent rows are customary, the distance between adjacent plants in one row being frequently about 50 cm. I

-Now, I have found that by materially decreasing the spacing of the individual tobacco plants it is possible to grow a tobacco of a much'higher quality. In other words, I" have found that in countries and/or under growing. conditions where up to now only cigar tobacco or smoking tobacco was cultivated, it is possible by using much closer distances than hitherto in use in those countries for the cultivation ofcigar tobacco, a good tobacco for cigarettes can be grown, which oftentimes is equal 'to the high quality oriental tobacco for cigarettes.

Therefore according to the present invention it is suggested in the cultivation of tobacco to iii) cm. between adjacent rows.

nection with the raising of tobaccovplants can be carried through more readily, if not too small a distance is left between the adjacent rows. It a has been ascertained that the improved method of cultivation can be carried through by choosing 15 between adjacent rows distances of 50 or even '60 cm. With these rather big distances between adjacent rows it is then necessary to have rather small distances of the individual plants within e row. Distances of 10 or cm. between adjacent plants have given satisfactory results in connection with distances of, not more than As already mentioned, also distances between'adjacent plants of a row as great as cm. have beensatisiactory. -25' Still closer distances of rows down to distances of '10 cm. between adjacent rows can be used, if

it is decided to put up with the above mentioned diiilculties of cultivation.

It is not necessary in practising the present 0 invention to plant the tobacco plants in rows. Any manner of growing the tobacco can be used in which the spacing between individual plants or the area coordinated to each plant is substantially less than the spacing or area respectively which was hitherto in use for cultivating cigar tobacco under similar conditions.

I have found that by thus decreasing the distance'of the rows and/or the spacing between individual plants, it is possible to grow high quality 40 tobacco for cigarettes under conditions and/or in countries where up to present with the hitherto known methods of cultivation only cigar tobacco and smoking tobacco or tobacco for cigarettes of minor quality could be grown.

The appearance of the tobacco grown in accordance with the present invention is .very similar to that of high quality oriental tobacco for cigarettes. The leaves are small and of com paratively light colour; also cured tobacco, originating from plantsraised in accordance with the present invention,-ha s the light yellow colour 7 which is a well known characteristic of good tobacco for cigarettes.

By the term cigarette as used" in the claims is new method of cultivation to these new tobacco varieties, I have succeeded in growing tobacco for cigarettes which is free or substantially free from nicotine, the percentage of nicotine in the cured tobacco being'less than 0,08% for the so called nicotine-free varieties and less than 0.5%

for the so called varieties poor in nicotine.

Accordingly the present invention is also concerned with the cultivation of tobacco for cigarettes, which is free from nicotine or which shows poorness of nicotine. The invention is further concerned with cured tobacco for cigarettes having natural freeness of nicotine or natural poorness of nicotine, as a new article of manufacture. For growing tobacco for cigarettes which is free from nicotine in accordance with the present invention plants of a nicotine free tobacco variety are planted at close distances with regard'to each other, the spacings to be applied having been in detail referred to previously. The thns close grown tobacco is harvested and is then cured by meansof one of the well known curing methods. From this process results a cured tobacco for cigarettes which is practically free from nicotine.

By applying the same steps to a tobacco variety which ispoor-in nicotine, nicotine poor cured to- .bacco for cigarettes results.

Hitherto nicotine free or nicotine poor cured tobacco was manufactured by applying a chemical treatmentto the tobacco. These chemical treatments always materially influence the aromatic qualities of thetobacco; in other words, the destruction or elimination of nicotine was always accompanied by more or less spoiling of the aroma of the tobacco. With the present invention a nicotine free tobacco for cigarettes results, in which the aroma of the tobacco is not in the least afiected. In other words, the nicotine free and :the nicotine poor tobacco for cigarettes menufactured as above described, are far superior tothe hitherto known nicotine free or nicotine poor.

cured tobacco, where the nicotine by artificial methods. I

Whatfis considered new and 'desired'to be sewas eliminated cured by Letters Patent is pointed out in the 101- lowing ciai ns:

l. The method 01' cultivating tobacco for cigarettes which consists in growing plants of a tobacco hitherto cultivated as cigar tobacco in rows, the individual plants within a row being spacedfrom each other less than 30 cm.

2. The method of cultivating tobacco for cigarettes which consists in growing plants of a tobacco usually cultivated as cigar tobacco, in

rows the distance between adjacent rows being less than 60 cm. and the distance between adjacent plants within a rowbeing not greater than 30 cm.

3. The method of manufacturing cured nicotine-free tobacco which consists in growing tobacco plants of a nicotine free variety of cigar tobacco at close distances, the distance between adjacent plants in one direction being not more than cm. harvesting the tobacco and suitably drying the same whereby cured tobacco for cigarettes of natural freeness of. nicotine is manufactured.

4. The method of manufacturing cured nicotine-poor tobacco which consists in growing tobacco plants of a nicotine-poor variety of cigar tobacco at close distances, the distance between adjacent plants in one direction being not more than 30 cm., harvesting the tobacco and su.it

ably drying same, whereby cured tobacco for cigarettes of natural poorness of nicotine is manufactured.

5. *The method of cultivating tobacco for cigarettes from a variety of tobacco usually known as cigar tobacco in which the individual cigar tobacco plants are planted substantially closer than customary for-the raising of cigar tobacco under equivalent growing-conditions.

6. The method of cultivating tobacco for cigarettes which consists in planting plants-of cigar tobacco in rows, the individual plants within a row being spaced from each other a substantially smaller distance than customary for the raising of cigar tobacco under equivalent growing conditions.-

7. The method 01' cultivating tobacco for cigarettes from a tobacco variety usually cultivated as cigar tobacco under similar growingconditions which consists in growing plants of the said variety with substantially decreased dis-- tances between the single plants compared with the distances applied for growing said variety under said growing conditions as cigar tobacco;

whereby to effect a distinctive change of the tobacco plants from the cigar type to the cigarette" type.

PAUL KOENIG. 

